After fleeing to Germany, Soltanireached the United States in ;;;; underthe auspices of the SRF. She received afellowship to MSU and remembers heryear in Jersey fondly. “Everyone was verypositive and helpful, and I only wish Icould have stayed longer,” she says. “Myhost family was wonderful, and throughthem I got to know many other peoplein town. I still miss Thanksgiving andEaster celebrations, having bagels forbreakfast—everything bagels were myfavorite. The list of things I miss aboutNew Jersey is very long.”Soltani left Montclair State in early;;;; after she was granted asylum andpermanent residence in Germany. Nowa research assistant and working onanother PhD. dissertation (Germanydoes not recognize the previous degreeshe earned) at the Free University ofBerlin, she also works for SRF, trying toconvince more German institutions toaccept rescue scholars.

Given the current talk about clos-ing America’s borders to immigrants,the SRF’s Willcox would like to setthe record straight on the scholars herorganization has brought to the UnitedStates. “It’s a mistake to believe thatscholars come here thinking it’s a passto asylum,” says Willcox. “For mostpeople, asylum is a last resort. I don’tthink I’ve met one scholar who says heor she doesn’t want to go home. Theydesperately want to go home.”But until they can, New Jersey has beena welcoming haven for scholars in danger.

Beth Weinhouse is executive health
director at Prevention magazine. She lives
with her family in Montclair.

“In the most di;cult
and worst of times,
universities have
been a vital connection between and
among peoples and
nations .”

—Susan Cole

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